2016 is going to go down in history as a year filled with surprises, from the British exiting the EU,Italians rejecting constitutional reform resulting in the Prime minister's resignation,Trump's election as 54th USA president and lastly the sudden turn about of a loser president in Gambia who conceded to defeat and his sudden rejection of the entire election result. From within these list comes two main international political highlights of great interest.
Firstly, the democratic ineptitude of USA political processes contributing to what would be called democratic devaluation of this century. During the presidential debate,the entire process drifted/degenerated to personality cult without substance compounded by allegations of foreign meddling,simply put-putinization of the entire election process. The absence of substantive issue in the debate was mindbugling leaving it probably as the worst in recent history. Hillary Clinton could have won if she had disavowed the legacy of her boss- Obama's visit to England to campaign for British stay in EU was a total failure to which she should have learnt. Obama's failure was very visible in the foreign policy circle as seen in both Syria and Libya.
Secondly,the over-ratedness of political pundits who were highly shocked by the outcome of both events in Britain and USA. The mainstream establishment have always had control of the mind and thought of the ordinary man dictating how they should reason- they the media ascribed to themselves the mouthpiece of the man on the street. When the media resorted to sensationalism of important issues they lost the plot, this could be seen as all attempt to sway the result in their preferred candidate failed decimally becoming a huge hummering never seen in many years of obvious prediction. When they identified with the establishment- oppressors of the poor and suppressors of the truth they represented non other but themselves. Obama won on a ticket of change but the media are yet to interrogate and find out what changes he's achieved. Trump is the mainstream creation for as they tried to demonize him,he became more endearing to many mostly those whom the media ones spoke on behalf of. Today's rise in populism is the outcome of a symptomatic political ills which the media has helped nursed knowingly or unknowingly.
2017 demands a retro-introspection to which the media should step back and try regain the masses trust. Globalization has played a vital part,gone are the dark age as information is readily available. Hoping for a better new year. Cheers
